The first English-language book to document the men who emerged from the gulags to become Russia’s much-feared crime class: the vory v zakone

Mark Galeotti is the go-to expert on organized crime in Russia, consulted by governments and police around the world. Now, Western readers can explore the fascinating history of the vory v zakone, a group that has survived and thrived amid the changes brought on by Stalinism, the Cold War, the Afghan War, and the end of the Soviet experiment.

The vory—as the Russian mafia is also known—was born early in the twentieth century, largely in the Gulags and criminal camps, where they developed their unique culture. Identified by their signature tattoos, members abided by the thieves’ code, a strict system that forbade all paid employment and cooperation with law enforcement and the state. Based on two decades of on-the-ground research, Galeotti’s captivating study details the vory’s journey to power from their early days to their adaptation to modern-day Russia’s free-wheeling oligarchy and global opportunities beyond.

Recenzii

"The
culmination
of
more
than
twenty-five
years
of
writing
on
Russian
organized
crime,
Vory
is
destined
to
become
the
standard
work
on
the
subject.
It
is
instructive
and
shocking—and
a
pleasure
to
read."—Federico
Varese,
author
of
Mafia
Life

"To
understand
power
in
contemporary
Russia,
this
is
a
must
read."—Misha
Glenny,
author
of
McMafia

"Galeotti
lays
bare
the
lattices
of
power
and
influence
between
official
Russia
and
its
criminal
organizations.
This
is
the
best
guide
to
understanding
the
workings
of
the
Kremlin
since
Mario
Puzo's
The
Godfather."—Toomas
Hendrik
Ilves,
Former
President
of
Estonia

“Gritty,
historically
grounded
and
superbly
readable,
this
is
an
essential
work
by
one
of
the
most
knowledgeable
and
dispassionate
observers
of
contemporary
Russia.”—Rachel
Polonsky,
author
of
Molotov's
Magic
Lantern

"Galeotti
writes
with
wit,
clarity
and
authority
about
the
grimly
fascinating,
and
all-too-important,
history
of
organized
crime
and
its
outsize
role
in
shaping
contemporary
Russian
society
and
government."—Michael
Weiss,
CNN
National
Security
Analyst

Notă biografică

Mark Galeotti is senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations, Prague. An expert and prolific author on transnational crime and Russian security affairs, he has also advised the British Foreign Office and many government and law enforcement agencies in Europe and North America.